Seeing is Believing
by Minn-Maigi
Summary: Aerrow is hit by a crystal of Cyclonis' making him act strangly. After he leaves the team, the other SH go to T.Cyclonia to discover the truth behind Aerrow's actions. If they don't stop Cyclonis, Aerrow's doomed. Some A X P.
1. Seed

**MM: Okay… I know I said I would do the Repo! one first, but frankly, I'm just too lazy to look up the lyrics right now so here's SIB. ****Please remember to review. (It's just clicking a button and typing one line… I mean, seriously…) ^_^**

Chapter 1: Seed

"Finally," Master Cyclonis said with a smile. "It's complete." Cyclonis stood alone in her dark chamber, holding two square crystals in her hands. They both glowed a faint green light. One was slightly smaller than the other, and it had a hole drilled through it.

"Dark Ace," Master Cyclonis called. Her loyal servant loomed from the shadows. "It's time to test my latest creation." She handed the larger crystal to the Dark Ace, who attached it to the hilt of his sword. Instantly, the metal blades glowed fiercely with the same green energy as the crystals.

"What about the other one?" The Dark Ace asked, indicating the smaller crystal.

"That can wait till after the first part of my plan. You know what to do?"

The Dark Ace smiled at Cyclonis' question. "Yes, Master."

Cyclonis smiled back. "Then go do it."

***

Finn was fluffing his bed pillows. It was one hour into the afternoon, and just the right time for a mid day nap. Nothing like laying back and doing nothing. Finn threw himself onto his bed and grabbed his headphones. He set the volume to quiet, and then settled down for what promised to be a relaxing afternoon.

The Condor gave a huge lurch and Finn fell out of bed, flat on his face. His door flew open, and Aerrow stood in the threshold.

"Finn! Get to the cannons. Cyclonians!" Aerrow ran off to alert the rest of his team, while Finn groaned.

"Uhhhuuhuh! Why does this always happen whenever I _just_ sit down?" Grumpily, he headed for the blasters.

"What's happened, Aerrow?" Piper asked as she ran to the Sky Knight's side. Aerrow was standing beside Stork, watching the fighting from the bridge.

"There's almost half a fleet out there. Most of them have fallen back, but there's still a small resistance gathered around their main leader." Aerrow gestured to the battle as he spoke.

"Let me guess," said Piper sarcastically. "The Dark Ace?"

Aerrow nodded. "I want you and Finn to come with me on the skimmers. Junko and Stork can handle most of it from here."

"Right," Piper agreed.

As the three sky rides flew across the air to meet the Cyclonians in battle, the Dark Ace laughed and called across the sky. "I wondered when you were going to come out and play!"

Aerrow frowned. "Piper! Finn! Cover me!" Aerrow's friends flew off as Aerrow headed straight for the Dark Ace. The Cyclonian dodged Aerrow's advance and swerved around to face his opponent. Aerrow charged again, but this time, fired a bolt of crystal energy as he passed. The Dark Ace countered, but it missed the mark. The fighting continued with neither Aerrow nor the Dark Ace gaining an advantage. However, the rest of the Storm Hawks were performing well against the Talons, and this fact came to both Aerrow and his enemy.

"Face it," Aerrow called to the Dark Ace as more Talons fell into retreat. "You're beat! Give up!"

"That may be true, Aerrow," the Dark Ace said, a smirk still crawling along his mouth. "But the thing you must remember is that…" The Dark Ace suddenly sent a bolt of green crystal energy at Aerrow. The Sky Knight was caught off guard and received the blow. He gasped, but quickly recovered. Aerrow looked at the Dark Ace with a scowl. The Cyclonian gave a final mock smile and then flew away with the rest of the Talons.

"Aerrow!" Piper called, as she and Finn flew back to his side. "I saw the Dark Ace hit you. Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," Aerrow said as Radarr climbed onto his shoulder.

"I've never seen a crystal like that before. It's weird…"

Aerrow and Finn exchanged a look behind Piper's back. She was starting to get that paranoid worried tone in her voice again.

"Seriously, I'm okay, Piper. It was probably just some charged-up striker crystal or something."

Piper smiled. "Alright. If you're sure you're fine." The three of them flew back to the Condor.

***

"Did you succeed?" The sun was setting as Master Cyclonis asked the Dark Ace about his mission.

"Yes, Master," The Dark Ace said with a smile. "Excuse the pun, but Aerrow didn't even know what hit him."

"Perfect. In that case, we can finally see what kind of damage this can do." Master Cyclonis held the small green crystal in her hand. There was a chain laced carefully through the hole that was drilled into the crystal. Master Cyclonis approached her faithful servant with the bizarre necklace. The Dark Ace took it and carefully placed it around his neck. "Soon, Aerrow will be completely destroyed…" Master Cyclonis said with a grin. "…which will leave the rest of the Storm Hawks open for destruction."

**

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**MM: Let me know what you think! There's actually a good chance that I'll finish this one because I already have the ending planned. ^_^ **


	2. Intrusion

Chapter 2: Intrusion

It was late. Aerrow should have turned in earlier, but he was lying in bed, thinking about some random things. He was happy that his squad had won the battle earlier today, but it wasn't like the Dark Ace to keep smiling when beat. It made Aerrow uneasy, and that definitely was a different crystal that the Dark Ace was using… Aerrow turned over. He was beginning to over-think things as much as Piper. He smiled.

Suddenly, Aerrow tensed. He heard footsteps echoing down the hallway. Aerrow dismissed it. It was probably Finn sneaking out for a late night snack. Aerrow knew he would soon hear the faint noise of the fridge contents rattling around. …But there was nothing. Curiosity climbing, Aerrow sat up, listening. There were no other noises, but he knew for a fact he heard footsteps earlier. Could it have just been his imagination? Probably, but the uneasy feeling was still residing inside Aerrow's chest, so he approached the door and looked out into the hallway. There was no sign of anyone. All of the lights had been turned off and the rest of the squad had already turned in. Aerrow sighed. He knew he was acting childish and paranoid. A sky knight, still afraid of the dark. Aerrow shook his head and was about to turn around when he noticed it.

There was a shadow lying across the hallway that shifted ever so slightly. At first Aerrow thought it was a piece of furniture, but he could see the dark outline was moving. There was someone standing just around the corner. Aerrow mutely pulled out his blades. Without hesitation, he ran to the end of the hallway and turned to face whoever was lurking there.

"Freeze!" Aerrow yelled. The person turned around to face Aerrow. It was hard to identify the intruder in the dark, but Aerrow could see the faint traces of moonlight glisten off the black hair and blood eyes.

Aerrow was hit square in the chest by a red bolt of crystal energy. The Dark Ace sprinted away while Aerrow pulled himself up from the floor and grabbed the microphone that hung on the wall. "Everyone!" Aerrow spoke urgently into the speaker. "The Dark Ace is on board. He's headed for the hangar!" Immediately, the Storm Hawks came rushing out of their rooms in pursuit of the enemy.

Aerrow was already closing in on the hangar. As he turned the corner, he just noticed the doors closing behind a fleeing figure. Aerrow dashed in after him. As he came charging through the doors, he noticed Finn had already beat him to it.

"Finn! Don't let him get away!" Aerrow pointed frantically to the Dark Ace, but Finn looked around blankly.

"Where?"

Aerrow, frustrated at his partner's slow timing, charged at the Dark Ace but it was too late. The Cyclonian laughed and jumped onto his ride. In a blur it took off into the skies. Aerrow ran outside onto the landing strip, but search as he might, he couldn't make out a single skimmer through the night. The Dark Ace slipped away.

"Damn it!" Aerrow yelled, banging his fist on the wall of the hangar. He turned towards Finn. "Why didn't you stop him?"

"What?" asked Finn, offended that his sky knight was blaming him. "I didn't even see the Dark Ace! It was pitch black."

"I pointed right at him!" Aerrow yelled, but then stopped. He sighed. "Sorry, Finn. I guess I'm just disappointed." By this time, the rest of the team had joined Finn and Aerrow. "He got away." Aerrow informed the squad.

"How could he get on the ship? What did he want?" asked Piper.

"I don't know," said Aerrow. "But I'm going to find out."

"Don't worry, Aerrow," Stork said. "He is _not_ going to get on the Condor again. _No one_ sneaks upon _this_ ship."

Aerrow smiled a little, but disappointment still lingered in his eyes. "Well," said Aerrow. "At least no one was hurt. That's the important part."

"Do you think he came back because he lost earlier today?" asked Junko.

"It's hard to say," responded Piper. "We don't know why he came that time, either."

"Well, whatever he's up to, we can't be too careful," said Aerrow. "He might try the same trick again and when he does we need to be ready for him." The Storm Hawks nodded in agreement. "However," added Aerrow. "I'm sure he's gone now. Let's just turn in and worry about this in the morning."

"Good idea," said Junko with a yawn. Radarr chirruped sleepily.

As the Storm Hawks walked back to their rooms, Finn whispered to Junko, "I don't know _how_ he noticed the Dark Ace on board. There was moonlight streaming into that hangar, but I couldn't see _anyone_."

***

Master Cyclonis approached the Dark Ace, still wearing the green crystal around his neck. "Have you done it?"

"Yes," replied the Dark Ace. "It was an odd experience… but it went well. This shall be very useful."

"Indeed," said Cyclonis, smiling at the success of her own creation. "Have they realized what it does?"

"I don't think so. Aerrow pointed it out to one of the others, but I doubt they've figured the true meaning behind it."

"Well," said Master Cyclonis. "We can't expect too much from them. No worries, I'll have you perform again tomorrow. During the day I think, and in plain view. That way, they'll be sure to understand the real power behind it. That way, we don't have to hold back. It might take a while for them to identify it with the crystal, but once they do, Aerrow will have suffered much worse, and we can easily finish off the rest."

"Yes, Master." The Dark Ace bowed, as Cyclonis left the room.

***

The Storm Hawks were lounging in the bridge, with the exception of Stork who was standing at the controls of the Condor. None of them slept well last night after the encounter with the Dark Ace. During the morning, they discussed it briefly, but until they knew what the Dark Ace was after, it was hard to speculate their enemy's next move. Meanwhile, Stork had double-checked all of the security and defenses on the ship, and assured Aerrow that no one was going to board the Condor without them knowing.

Most of the team members now were feeling anxious. Aerrow hadn't said much on the subject, and it had been quiet all day. Piper glanced up from her book every so often to peer at Aerrow who was sitting across from her. He looked like he was sulking… or was he just deep in thought? Aerrow, meanwhile, wasn't thinking. Random thoughts moved in and out of his head, but none that made any real sense. _This isn't like you,_ he thought. _Stop being this way. You're team counts on you. Dark Ace. Twice now. Was he just trying to get to me? We should just move on. Maybe take a vacation. The Dark Ace…Hmm…_ Aerrow sighed. He wasn't feeling that great. Normally he was very organized but his thoughts were drifting. If the Dark Ace didn't turn up again, he was just going to forget about it. Because the Dark Ace…

Some internal instinct alerted Aerrow. He opened his eyes – he hadn't realized he closed them – and looked towards the window.

A single skimmer was approaching.

"Damn it," Aerrow whispered under his breath. He leaped off the couch and grabbed the Condor's scope. He could see what he knew he would see through the lens.

The Dark Ace.

"He's back." Aerrow announced to the room.

"What? Again?" asked Finn.

Piper approached Aerrow and took the scope from him. "I don't see anything."

Aerrow moved towards the front window. He could clearly make out the Cyclonian's skimmer, and its rider. "There!" Aerrow pointed. The entire team moved towards the window to see.

"Where?"

"There!"

Aerrow was getting annoyed. The skimmer was in high contrast with the white clouds, and he could see the Dark Ace clearly.

Piper faced her sky knight, confusion written on her face. "Aerrow, we don't see anyone."

"How could you not see? He's right there!"

The team continued to scour the sky. "Aerrow," said Junko. "We don't know what you're talking about…"

Aerrow paused. There was something very wrong here. "Are all of you telling me that you can not _see him?_" Aerrow asked in disbelief. The Dark Ace was so close now, the scope wasn't needed. It was plain to see who was riding the skimmer and deliberately heading for the Condor, but the team, confused and now somewhat worried, shook their heads.

Aerrow said nothing, shock stunning him into silence. He looked out the window. The Dark Ace was still there, smiling maliciously and directly at Aerrow. "I… I don't understand."

"Mind worms," Stork whispered.

"A clocking crystal, then!" Aerrow said. "He must be…"

"Then why are you able to see him?" Finn pointed out bluntly.

Aerrow said nothing and turned back towards the window. Was he going crazy?

"Aerrow?" Piper asked tentatively, a worried tone filling her words. "Aerrow?"

"Aerrow."

The other voice startled Aerrow. He looked up. The Dark Ace was hovering in front of the window, his face right in front of the sky knight's. Too close. Too close for logic or reason. Instantly, Aerrow knew this couldn't be the real Dark Ace. It was impossible. Even though there was a thick sheet of glass separating the two, Aerrow could hear the Dark Ace's voice clearly in his head.

"Don't bother," said the Dark Ace with a smile. "I am only seen by you. Your own personal Dark Ace." He laughed. The sound was demonic and caused Aerrow pain to listen to it. Aerrow closed his eyes, certain that this must be some sort of nightmare. After looking back out the window, the strange vision vanished, but the voice remained to deliver one final message.

"I'll be back."


	3. Intensity

Chapter 3: Intensity

"I still say it's mind worms…"

"Stork!"

The Storm Hawks were gathered together on the bridge, all sitting around Aerrow, who had just told his team everything he had witnessed moments beforehand.

"Look," said Piper, standing up and trying to be logical as always. "This vision, or hallucination, or whatever it is Aerrow saw, is obviously tied to the Dark Ace."

"Thank you, captain obvious," Finn remarked. Piper cast him a scathing look.

"If we include last night…" Piper continued as if she had not been interrupted. "…then that makes it twice now." Piper leaned on the table they were all gathered around. She was going into full lecture mode. "It's not hard putting two and two together. These…umm…_visions_ began immediately after Aerrow's encounter with the real Dark Ace. In other words, immediately after he was hit with that strange crystal."

"You think the crystal made Aerrow see all that stuff?" asked Junko.

"I'm almost positive. We should plot a course to Cyclonia as soon as possible and find out what the Dark Ace and Master Cyclonis are up to. Aerrow…" Piper turned to her sky knight, her voice becoming a bit more gentle and less business-like. "Do you think these illusions are going to come back?"

Aerrow, who had his head bowed in-between his clasped hands, slowly looked up into Piper's eyes. "I'm positive. He said…" Aerrow hesitated. "It said it would be back…" There was a small silence after Aerrow finished speaking.

"Well then," said Piper, considering her words. "They don't seem harmful…" Aerrow threw her a look. "I mean, physically," Piper quickly added. "I think the only and best thing you can do right now is to try and ignore it."

Aerrow sighed and rose from his chair. "I think I'll turn in early." Without another word, he silently left the bridge.

In the hallway, Aerrow could still hear the voices of his comrades.

"Maybe it's Cyclonian mind control."

"Don't joke around, Finn. We already proved that doesn't exist."

"I'm just sayin'…"

"Am I the only one here who believes in mind worms?"

Aerrow sighed again and entered the sanctuary of his room. Without taking the time to change out of his armor, Aerrow threw himself onto his bed, exhausted. He closed his eyes, hoping for sleep, but suddenly, the high, cold laughter of the Dark Ace echoed deep inside his head. Aerrow groaned and closed his eyes hard against the sound. He grabbed a pillow and rolled over onto his side, knowing once again he would get little sleep through the night.

***

The next few days Aerrow kept to his room, only coming out when necessary. Needless to say, his behavior worried the rest of the team, but none of them knew what they could do to help. The strange visions were still taunting Aerrow, but he did not report them. He didn't want to worry his team anymore than they already were. Plus, even when he ignored the visions, they did not go away. Nothing made them go away. There was nothing they could do. Nothing Aerrow could do.

There were times when some members of the team believed they may have caught Aerrow in the middle of experiencing something. Junko had walked passed the door to Aerrow's room, only to hear the sky knight arguing with someone. However, Junko knew that the rest of the team were in other parts of the ship. Junko, curious, knocked timidly on Aerrow's door.

"Aerrow? You okay?"

There was an abrupt stop in the sounds coming from inside the room. A long pause followed, until Aerrow finally spoke.

"I'm… fine."

But Aerrow didn't open the door, leaving Junko not reassured at all.

Another time, Finn had heard the sounds of a scuffle coming from behind the door. Finn knocked.

"Dude? You alright?"

When Aerrow replied, his breathing was hard and uneven. "I'm fine. Don't come in."

"You sure? 'Cause I…"

"I said don't come in!"

Aerrow sounded angry, and Finn heeded his advice, afraid what he might find if he _did_ enter the room.

Finally, against her better judgment, Piper decided to check on Aerrow. She was the most worried person in the entire team, and she couldn't hold back any longer. It had been three days, and they were going to reach Cyclonia soon. Piper wished they could have arrived sooner, but they were pretty much as far away from Cyclonia as possible when they finally decided to head there.

Piper walked up to Aerrow's door and knocked gently. "Aerrow?" There was no reply. "Aerrow, I'm going to come inside." There was still no response. Piper took that as a yes. She stepped inside the room, and found why Aerrow was not responding. He was asleep on his bed, even though it was the middle of the day. Piper figured sadly that he must be exhausted from whatever was happening to him.

Piper walked towards Aerrow and sat at the foot of the bed. She looked at Aerrow's face as he slept. There were circles starting to appear under his eyes, and his face was sickly sallow. His expression was a mix of pain and frustration. Even in unconsciousness he seemed unable to avoid it. Piper sighed, saddened by Aerrow's appearance. They had to stop this.

Not wanting to disturb him, Piper began to rise from the bed, when suddenly a hand grabbed her wrist. Piper gasped in a moment of surprise, and looked into Aerrow's wide eyes. They were clouded and dull, like they belonged to someone who was partially blind. Aerrow said nothing, but continued to stare.

"Aerrow?" Piper asked, frightened by his reaction.

As soon as Piper called his name, Aerrow's eyes lightened and he released his grasp on Piper's arm. He lowered his hand slowly, like someone who had just woken up from a nightmare and was coming to terms with reality. "I'm sorry," Aerrow said in a very soft voice. "I thought you were… I thought he was here."

Piper knew what he meant. "Aerrow…" But it felt like there was nothing she could say.

Aerrow sat up beside Piper, assuming his now common position of holding his head in his hands. Piper gently placed her hand on his shoulder, not saying a word. They sat in silence like that for a while.

"They…" said Aerrow, finally breaking the silence. "They're getting worse. More… real. I know he's not here, but it's like I can't help myself. I need to fight back, and even when I don't he's still there…

"I'm sorry, Aerrow," Piper said in genuine sympathy. "I can't even begin to imagine how that crystal might work. I don't know how to help you."

Aerrow looked up at Piper and placed his hand around her shoulder. "I thought…" Aerrow said, his voice stronger now. "I thought you were the Dark Ace, Piper." Aerrow sounded revolted at himself for even thinking such a thing, even though it was beyond his control. "What happens in a few days from now when it's even worse? What happens if I don't snap out of it?"

Piper didn't know where Aerrow was going with this. "That's why we're going to Cyclonia. To end this."

Aerrow sighed. "But there's still time... time for me to go through more of this insanity. Time for me to make mistakes…" Aerrow trailed off.

"Aerrow," Piper said, thinking she finally understood what he meant. "You're not going to hurt anyone."

"You can't guarantee that."

Piper felt like she was going to be sick. For Aerrow to actually go through something that would make him think such things…

"Is that why you've stayed in your room? To isolate yourself from us?"

Aerrow said nothing. He placed his head in his hands again.

"You shouldn't do that, Aerrow! You should let us help support you! It's crazy to think you need to keep yourself caged up like some… some animal!"

Aerrow looked at Piper. She had risen from the bed, and was standing in front of her sky knight, trying to make him see sense. "I'm not crazy," Aerrow muttered, more to himself than to Piper.

"You know I didn't mean it like that. But, Aerrow…" However, Aerrow didn't seem to be listening anymore. Piper sighed and walked towards the doorway. "We'll reach Cyclonia in no more than two days. It'll be over then…" Piper hesitated. "I'm sorry I can't help you." The way Piper said it gave the words a different meaning than when she was sitting beside Aerrow. They were more hurt.

Aerrow looked up. "Wait, Piper, I…" But she was gone. The door was closed behind her. "I only want to protect you…" Aerrow sighed.

He sat there, regretting what he said, but at the same time believing his words. It was silent, but then…

"Well done, Aerrow. You seem to be messing things up well enough without my help." The Dark Ace stood smirking in the far corner of the room.

Aerrow grabbed his bedside lamp and ferociously tossed it at the wall. "GET OUT OF MY HEAD!" But of course, the lamp merely struck the wall and shattered. There was nothing there, but there was always something there.

"Temper, temper," the voice chided.

Aerrow threw himself onto the bed, facing down into the sheets. "Get out of my head, get out of my head," he repeated to himself in a hopeless chant. As he muttered, he could feel the bitter tears burn his face.

***

The next morning was even worse than the others. Aerrow didn't come out all day. It was the late afternoon, and Piper confessed what had happened to the rest of the team.

"You don't seriously mean that Aerrow actually thinks he might be dangerous?" asked Junko.

"I don't believe it, but Aerrow seemed to take it seriously," replied Piper. "I can't tell if he actually meant it, or if it's just exhaustion and frustration talking. Regardless, it'll all be over in a day or so anyways. In the meantime though, no matter how worried we might be, I think we should obey Aerrow and let him be alone if he wants to be. I hate to say it, but… there really isn't much we can do."

Meanwhile, Finn was listening, but not liking what he heard. Aerrow was his buddy, and he wanted to make sure he was going to be alright. Without the others noticing, he snuck out towards Aerrow's room.

When Finn reached the door, he began to have second thoughts, but then he heard a fierce racket coming from inside, and it troubled him further. "Aerrow?" Finn called in warning. There were more sounds from within, but Aerrow said nothing. Being reckless and not taking a moment to consider his actions, Finn opened the door.

Aerrow stood there with his back to Finn, blades drawn. He remained there for a few seconds, but then turned around, noticing the sudden disturbance. His eyes possessed the same clouded blindness that Piper witnessed.

"Aerrow?" Finn asked.

Suddenly, Aerrow lunged. Finn gave a high-pitched scream and dodged out of the way. Aerrow's blade embedded itself into the frame of the doorway, exactly where Finn's head had been mere seconds beforehand. Finn rose to his feet and quickly looked back at Aerrow.

"Dude! Aerrow! What's wrong with you?"

Aerrow paused. It took a moment, but eventually his eyes became clear again. Seeing Finn's shocked expression, and his blades held firmly in his hands, it wasn't hard for Aerrow to figure out what just happened. Aerrow shielded his weapons and gazed at Finn coldly.

"I almost hit you, didn't I?"

Finn stuttered. "Dude, it's okay. I just…"

"Get out."

"Wait, I just wanted…"

"Get OUT!"

Finn didn't need telling a third time. He quickly made a run for it as Aerrow slammed the door behind him.

In anger, Aerrow threw his swords to the ground. He sat with his head in his hands. That was close, too close. He didn't mean to yell, but it was the only way to keep them away…to keep them safe… but even that wasn't working. Aerrow thought to himself. Maybe he shouldn't keep them away… maybe the key was to keep himself away. The Dark Ace laughed, seeing Aerrow's plan as it formed in his head, but Aerrow couldn't let that prevent him from acting.

It was his only choice.

***

The next morning was one of tension, but also one of relief. Stork announced that they were bound to hit Cyclonia by the afternoon, and Piper already had a plan laid out. It would work. It would end. Aerrow still was not seen. In fact, it was remarkably quiet outside of his room. The team noticed, and merely thought it was nerves that had calmed Aerrow. However, for some unexplainable reason, Piper felt something was wrong. Eventually, she caved into her longing to talk with her sky knight again. Using the excuse that she wanted to inform Aerrow to the plan, she approached the room.

Piper reached the door and knocked timidly. "Aerrow?" No reply. "Aerrow? I want to come in." No reply. "Aerrow, if you don't answer me I'm going to take it as a 'yes'." Still no reply. "Okay…" Piper said timidly. "I'm coming in now." Piper opened the door and gasped.

Aerrow was gone.

Piper stood there, trying to make sense of her sky knight's absence. Maybe he had gotten something to eat, or maybe he was in the washroom. But Piper knew inside that no one had seen Aerrow leave his room all day…

It was then that Piper noticed a piece of paper resting on the pillow of Aerrow's bed. She snatched it, premature panic starting to sink in. It was a note.

_Storm Hawks,_

_It's too much and too dangerous. These visions are becoming more and more real. I never told you the extent of it, but they have become so vivid that half the time I don't even know what's around me. Please try to understand. I cannot possible lead you if there is a chance that I might attack thinking you're the Dark Ace, or somehow otherwise a threat. He wanted me to go, but that was the only option left. I'm not going to tell you where I am, only not to give up. I am counting on you, and I am repulsed that I can not be there for you all. I am confident what I did was the only way to succeed. Once you find a way to end this, I'll find you. In the meantime, don't worry about me. I can handle this, it just has to be on my own. Forgive me._

_I'm sorry._

_-Aerrow_

The ink was smudged in spots where it looked like tears had hit the paper. Piper knew what it must have done to Aerrow to write this. Even though Aerrow thought what he had done was right, it still would have felt like giving up to him. Piper's tears fell to join Aerrow's as she finished reading the note. Piper wished there was a way she could have convinced Aerrow to stay, but she knew that there was never anything she could have done. Her uselessness and guilt tore at her, just like the note was torn at the bottom. After calming herself, Piper realized it was torn in a way that suggested there was more to the note, but it was nowhere to be seen. Piper sighed. It was probably just scratched out lines of a rough copy. Piper calmed herself and wiped away the last of the tears. She turned. It was time to tell the rest of the team. However, as she took a step, she could feel something flutter around her ankles and moved underneath the bed. Piper crouched down and there, resting peacefully as if never in doubt it would be found, was the other part of the note. Piper reached under the bed and grabbed the small message firmly in her hand. As she touched it, she once again felt the sense that something was wrong, but she couldn't imagine what would be worse than what she already discovered. She smoothed out the note and turned it over in her hands. As she began to read she gasped. It was Aerrow's handwriting, but it wasn't Aerrow's note.

_P.S. Take Aerrow's advice. Even if you do look for him, I'll make sure you fail. I know you're coming to Cyclonia. We'll be waiting. And don't worry about Aerrow… I'll take care of him. -Dark Ace_


	4. Dual Purpose

**Minn: ****YAY! Long chapter ahoy! First of all, I'm sorry for the delay. (Especially to those whom I promised a speedy update). I haven't written for the past few days that I DID expect to, so that put me far back. Also, more sad news. I'm going on vacation soon with no computer access so we all know what that means. I won't be updating again within the next two weeks. Anywho now that that part is out of the way…**

**I want to make one thing clear. This first scene is mostly an Aerrow point of view. It is SUPPOSED to be confusing. Please don't review saying I was too vague or it doesn't make sense. I was experimenting with the style, so I hoped it turned ou****t okay. (However, if you don't understand the later crystal part, then please**_** do**_** tell me so I can clarify, since it's rather a critical explanation.) Anywho, enjoy chapter 4 and please please please review. More reviews, more motivation. More motivation, faster updates.**

Chapter 4 – Dual Purpose

**Earlier that day**

Aerrow jumped off his skimmer, much too eager to leave the skies. During his entire flight away from the Condor, Aerrow sensed there was a different ride following him. However, every time he looked around to check, there was nothing there. The result was that Aerrow picked the first deserted terra he came to. When Aerrow left he had nowhere in mind, only to be away from people. From anyone he might hurt. Plus, he didn't want to push his luck. Every time he looked, he was afraid that the Cyclonian skimmer would suddenly come into view. It would blast him out of the sky, while a shot from his own ride would never leave a mark.

As Aerrow landed, the first faint light of dawn was beginning to appear. Natural light… it seemed so absent in the past few days. Aerrow sighed and stared around at the small terra. It was covered in trees, much like Amazonia, but the underbrush was much scarcer. Aerrow was glad for this one small mercy. He felt like most of his energy was already spent, although he figured that was due mainly to fatigue… and the reason for fatigue.

Aerrow knew he should scout the terra, making note of any hazards or risks such as wildlife or unstable cliffs – after all, he didn't know definitely how long he would stay here – but he laughed darkly at the thought. Physical problems were the very least of his worries. Exhausted and deeply depressed, Aerrow slumped onto a log, sitting with his head held in his hands. He had a headache, and it had grown more intense over the last few days.

Aerrow sighed. Every sense in his body was telling him this was wrong. There had to be another way. But there wasn't. Aerrow was stubborn, and he was firm in his belief that this _was_ the only way.

"Of course it is." Aerrow twitched as he heard the voice. "Because we planned it that way." Aerrow didn't bother looking up to see if the Dark Ace was sitting beside him. Physical manifestations didn't matter when you were a hallucination.

"Don't they?" asked the Dark Ace in response to Aerrow.

"You can read my thoughts now? Nice." Aerrow's sarcasm was wasted through the defeat of his words. _What do mean, you planned it?_ Aerrow thought, not wasting the effort to speak out loud.

"Me and Master Cyclonis. Did you really think this was the extent of what was going to happen?"

Aerrow thought he knew what the Dark Ace meant, but he was unable to follow through with the logic when his mind was falling apart. _What are you talking about?_

The Dark Ace laughed that horrible ice splinter cry that no real person could make. It was that laugh that made Aerrow truly question his sanity. "I guess I have to be more blunt now that you've completely fallen apart."

Aerrow ignored the gibe.

"I can see through your mind, Aerrow," the Dark Ace said, the tone implying an evil smile. "I know what you think. I know what you feel. And I know what your pathetic little excuse of a plan is. Mind, I don't think you can even classify acting on compassion as a plan."

Aerrow growled. In his mind the Dark Ace smirked with pleasure.

"Rather pathetic, really. I was hoping you would hang on longer. Give me more time to have some fun. Of course, with the rest of the Storm Hawks so close to Cyclonia, I suppose it would have been harder for you to get away once the action started. Because you know, Aerrow. You know that it isn't going to stop once they get there. You can _feel_ it. They _will_ fail and you'll be here, hiding from the boogey-man, too afraid to lead your squadron." There was a pause as the Dark Ace let his words sink in and spread through Aerrow like venom. "Lightning would be ashamed of you."

There was a bang, and Aerrow was suddenly on his feet. He had slammed into the Dark Ace and pressed him up against the trunk of a tree. In his other hand Aerrow grasped one of his blades.

"You take that back."

"Now, now, Aerrow. I thought I wasn't real." The Dark Ace mocked, quoting the exact sentence Aerrow had repeated to himself so many times before.

Aerrow had no comeback. Before he could think of what to say, he was grabbing thin air.

"But I suppose you have a point…" Aerrow whipped around. The Dark Ace was standing behind him, some few feet away. The change in position happened in the smallest instant. "I am getting off topic. You see, Aerrow. I knew you would eventually be on your own. I knew that your little squadron would come to Cyclonia. I even knew you would link me to the crystal."

Aerrow growled again as he bared his teeth. "So what?"

"So…" replied the Dark Ace. "Everything is going according to plan, and it's time to move to the next stage." The Dark Ace smiled wickedly as he drew out his energy blade. "I said I would have liked more time to torment you, but it's time to end this."

Aerrow grasped what the Dark Ace was saying. "You can't hurt me. You're not real."

At this the Dark Ace laughed outright. "Look at yourself, Aerrow! How can you say you're not hurt?"

Aerrow ground his teeth, but before he could react, the Dark Ace lunged. Aerrow dodged, but just barely escaped. The Dark Ace struck a second time. Aerrow tried to counter, but he was too slow. The blast from the Dark Ace's sword slammed Aerrow against a tree, the branches scraping him as he landed in the brush. Aerrow gasped and looked at his arm. There were small beads of blood filling in the larger scrapes. Aerrow yelled and jumped back to his feet, only the Dark Ace vanished. He wasn't gone, though. Aerrow could feel the ghost eyes watching him. Aerrow spun on the spot, all the while thinking he may have spotted his opponent, yet not seeing anything.

Suddenly, another blast came from behind, knocking Aerrow a good few feet towards the edge of the terra. As Aerrow raised his head from the ground, he noticed that he was actually much closer than he thought. The sharp cliff leading down into the wastelands stretched sheer and deadly before him. Aerrow rose to his feet again, but The Dark Ace came out of nowhere and grabbed Aerrow by the collar of his shirt, pressing the red blade to his neck.

"I may not be real, Aerrow, but that cliff is." The Dark Ace threw Aerrow a little closer to the edge. Aerrow stumbled, but was able to keep his balance. As he looked back at the Dark Ace, shock and fear were clear on the sky knight's face. "In fact," said the Dark Ace, walking slowly towards Aerrow. "You believe so much that I _am_ real, that your body reacts as if I were actually here."

Without warning, the Dark Ace punched Aerrow in the face. There was a sickly crunch as Aerrow felt his nose break. The sky knight fell to the ground and looked up into the blood red eyes of his tormenter. The Dark Ace smiled. "Just in case you have doubts."

Aerrow spat. There was blood in his mouth too. "Then why don't you get it over with?"

The Dark Ace laughed again. "You misunderstood, Aerrow. This is going to be a slow end."

Aerrow rose to his feet. His blades were held tightly in his hands.

"We both know you're not going to beat me, Aerrow." The Dark Ace continued to grin, revealing his dry teeth like a skull. "Yet you keep fighting."

Aerrow knew it was true. And he knew he would keep fighting. This was a thousand times worse than any siren's spell. He was made to fight. Aerrow took a lunge at the Dark Ace, but it was if he passed through air. When he looked back, the Dark Ace continued to stand tall.

"It's interesting… watching you fight. It's almost as if you're resorting to physical means because your mental capacities have disappeared."

Aerrow lunged again. He missed again.

"Then again, I have been annoyingly vague on purpose."

Another attack.

"It's better if you're confused."

Another miss.

"Everything I told you is a lie."

Attack.

"And everything is the truth."

Miss.

"You are completely gone."

Aerrow panted hard as he missed again. He bent over and rested his hands on his knees. Whether it was mental or physical exhaustion he didn't know. A combination of both, he supposed.

"It's my turn." The Dark Ace smiled.

A sharp blow pierced Aerrow's side. He yelled and staggered to the left. He turned, but the Dark Ace doubled back twice as fast, landing another blow. Aerrow ran to the trees, hoping that they would provide some cover. As he ran another jolt of energy struck him in the back. As Aerrow looked around through the forest, the shadows of the trees mixed with the shadows of the vision. He took a couple of steps backwards, watching the spot where he thought the Dark Ace was standing, but then it shifted, and there was no one. It shifted again and he was there. Another shift and he was everywhere. A blow hit Aerrow and he fell to the ground.

"Get out of my head." Aerrow pleaded, lying with his fingers laced through his hair, pulling the strands out by the roots. He closed his eyes, but the thing was there, eating away at his flesh. It was no longer the Dark Ace, but some hideous beast that merely assumed the appearance of a man. It was also an insect; one that could crawl into your mind and tear it into pieces. Aerrow felt his head burn with the fire that had risen from the subtle headaches that he knew would never go away. It was an eternal fire and it was an eternal pain. The beast laughed and it was the laugh of the purest evil and torture. It turned the ice splinters into steel blades that pierced the burning skin of the knight. As the madness continued, it made everything dark. It devoured the sun just like it had devoured all of sanity, leaving everything in darkness… everything in black… nothing but black… black… …

***

"Dark Ace?"

The servant looked into his master's face. A joyful smile played across his mouth.

"How is he?" Cyclonis asked.

The continuing smile was answer enough.

"Good," Cyclonis said. "Then leave him for the time being. The others will be here soon and I wish for you to fight."

"Are you sure, Master?" the Dark Ace asked, mildly surprised. These visions had become his priority. "Suppose he comes here… I wouldn't put it past him to recuperate in time."

"Are you sure of the effect you had on him?" Master Cyclonis asked dangerously. The Dark Ace hesitated, but nodded.

"Then there's no need to worry," said Cyclonis with a smile. "Even if Aerrow does come here – which I actually expect him to – there is little if not nothing he would be able to accomplish. Besides…" Cyclonis' grinned widened. "I want to see him finished in person."

***

The Condor flew quietly below Cyclonia. Piper, Finn, and Junko were all prepared to depart. Radarr was staying behind with Stork.

"Everyone ready?" Piper asked as she climbed onto her heliscooter. The other two nodded. "Then let's go."

The trio flew into one of the large pipes beneath Cyclonia. It reminded Piper bitterly of their first evasion of the terra. She hoped this mission would go a little more smoothly. If Piper was truthful with herself, she was feeling somewhat nervous. She only had three crystals, her crystal staff and a radio with her. Not much, but it was better not to carry_ too_ much. Piper knew the radio wasn't crucial to their plan, but she always took it with her wherever she went now. It was directly linked to Aerrow's skimmer. Just in case… Piper shook her head. She was letting herself get distracted and she needed to stay focused.

The team slowed when they encountered a grating overhead.

"This is the one," Piper said, leaving her heliscooter parked beneath the dim light coming from above. Finn and Junko followed her as they approached the ladder leading up to the Cyclonians.

"Okay," Piper breathed. "This is it." She pulled out three dim pinkish purple crystals from her sack.

"Those look familiar," Junko said.

"They should," replied Piper. "They're cloaking crystals. Or, I should say _my_ cloaking crystals. I made them from scratch and it's taken me forever to actually make them work. They're still not perfect, but they're the only way to get through into Cyclonis' private chamber. They only work once, and the effect wears off after a while, so we have to hurry." Piper tossed each of her friends a crystal. She then squeezed her own crystal, letting its power soak into her. The other two copied her movements, and soon, to the amazement of Junko and Finn, they were all invisible.

"Dude, this is so cool," Finn said, for once impressed at Piper's crystal skills.

"Ow! Finn, that was my foot," complained Junko.

"Oops. Sorry."

"Come on, guys," Piper called. There were sounds coming from the ladder. "We have to hurry! And be quiet. The crystals may make you invisible, but the Cyclonians can still hear you."

After Piper was sure that Junko and Finn were right behind her, she opened the grating and slipped into the hallway of the Cyclonian tower.

As the three made their way quickly to their destination, Piper became more and more anxious. She knew where she was going (due to some very helpful stolen blueprints of the tower), however the critical reason for their mission gnawed at her nerves. Fortunately, her crystals worked perfectly and they didn't run into any trouble.

Eventually, they stopped outside of two very large doors. "I think this is it," Piper whispered, consulting her blueprints. "Yep." Piper took out her crystal staff and quickly checked either end of the hallway to make sure no one was nearby. With a loud clanging noise, Piper rammed her crystal staff onto the lock of the doors. It snapped off and Piper breathed a sigh of relief. "Finn, come with me. Junko, stand outside and warn us if someone is coming."

"Right," Junko agreed.

Master Cyclonis' private room was much like the main chamber. It was spacious and dark. A slight chill seemed to creep from somewhere. "Keep your eyes open, Finn," Piper said as she searched through the room. "I'm sure a clue must be here somewhere." Finn sighed and laid back against a table, his hands bracing him from falling. "It'll probably be some papers, going into details about how the crystal works…"

"Like this?"

Piper turned around. Finn had conveniently placed one of his hands on the crystal blueprint without even realizing it. He held it up, which made it look like a piece of paper floating in midair since Finn was still invisible.

"Perfect," Piper said, walking up to the table. As she bent over and examined the plan, she read some of it aloud.

"It's titled, 'The Mentoptic Crystals: the first being the Missmentoptic. Smaller of the two, it must remain in contact with the sender's aura to convey the image.' Sender's aura? I can only assume that means in contact with either their mind or heart…" Piper skimmed through some of the more complex notes. "So advanced… 'The other being the Ceptmentoptic. The ceptmentoptic's power upon being shot must enter a host. The power can only be used once and for only one host. Once it is shot the power cannot return to the ceptmentoptic. The link between the host and the missmentoptic cannot be severed. If one end expires, so does the other…'" Piper hesitated, but continued to read. "'Upon further use of the missmentoptic by the sender, the link becomes stronger resulting in more vivid images. The images may become so real for the host that eventually, it will become too difficult to distinguish the differences, and it will consume the host…'" Piper trailed off. She stopped reading and placed the papers back onto the table.

"So… what's it mean?" asked Finn

"It's… incredible. So advanced… so intricate." Piper shook her head, trying to clear her thoughts. "Basically, there are two crystals. One is used by the Dark Ace to control the visions Aerrow is having, and the other was the one we saw. The one the shot Aerrow and made him the one to go through all of this."

"Well, can't we destroy that one then?"

Piper shook her head. "It says, 'Once it is shot the power cannot return to the ceptmentoptic.' Even if we did find that crystal, it would just be a pretty rock by now. The one we need to find is the crystal that the Dark Ace has."

"Alright!" said Finn. "Then lets go beat the Dark Ace and crush the crystal into dust."

"No, Finn!" Piper called after him. "It's much more complicated and dangerous than that. 'The link cannot be severed. If one end expires so does the other.' Don't you realize what that means?"

Finn said nothing.

"It means that if the crystal the Dark Ace has is destroyed, Aerrow will be destroyed with it!"

"Well what can we do?"

Piper sighed and shook her head. "I don't know. We can't destroy it, but we can't let it continue either. 'Upon further use by the sender… it will consume the host.' I really don't like the sound of that. I think the only thing we can do is to simply take the crystal, yet not destroy it. It'll be hard, but that's the only way to end this."

"Guys!" Junko suddenly called from outside. "Someone's coming!" Piper turned around, about to head for the doorway when she paused and gasped. She could _see_ Finn, and by the look that he was giving her, Piper would say that Finn could see her too.

"The cloaking crystals wore off!"

Junko ran into the room to join his friends, closing the door behind him. "They're going to realize we're in here."

Quickly, Piper pulled out her radio.

***

Aerrow woke up sore and stiff. He was still lying on the ground, and upon opening his eyes he closed them again, remembering the horror of what had happened. However, they were just shadows, and Aerrow breathed a sigh of relief as he realized that – for now – he was alone in his head.

Taking his time, Aerrow rose to his feet, wincing as the movements awakened some dormant pain. Overall, he'd say he wasn't too badly off. There were multiple cuts and bruises that blossomed on his skin, but besides his nose, Aerrow believed that nothing else was broken. Perhaps the majority of the pain had been mental.

Aerrow looked up to the sky, wondering how long he was out. The sun was already more than half-way across the sky; quite a while, then. Aerrow stretched again and looked around. He was standing at the very edge of the trees, through which he could see his skimmer still running.

Aerrow sighed and supposed he should cut the ignition to save the crystal power. He approached the sky ride and was about to turn it off, when the radio began to crackle.

"Aerrow? You there?"

It was Piper. Aerrow smiled sadly. It figured that they would call, but Aerrow wasn't going to answer. He reached again to turn off his ride, but the radio interrupted him.

"Aerrow, you don't have to answer, just listen. We don't have a lot of time. We're at Cyclonia and we found out what's happening."

Aerrow's expression changed immediately. His full attention was now focused on the radio.

"The Dark Ace has a crystal that he's using to control these visions. If he continues to use it, they are going to become more and more real until…" There was a brief hesitation. "Just, it won't be good." Piper didn't have to say it. Aerrow knew what she meant. "Aerrow, it's your choice to come here. We're going to fight, but if you _do_ arrive and somehow get the crystal, it's extremely important that you don't ---" Suddenly, there was a giant bang on the other side of the line. There was a yell and the sound of a fight.

Aerrow turned on his end of the radio. "Piper?" There were more noises of a fight. "Piper?!" But the radio cut out and all that was left was static.

Suddenly, without any hesitation in the slightest, Aerrow leaped onto his ride and headed for Cyclonia.


	5. Consumed

**Minn: Yay! I'm back. My vacation was nice, but I missed my computer sooooo much. Anywho, this is the climatic scene so pleeeease review and let me know what you think.**** (By the way, does anyone know if 'talons' is supposed to be capitalized?)**

Chapter 5: Consumed

As his tires hit the dirt of the terra they kicked up a large cloud of dust. Aerrow hit the brakes hard and skidded towards the base of the Cyclonian tower. There was no one around; an observation which put Aerrow on edge. They must have known that he was coming, yet there were no new attacks on Aerrow's mind when he flew towards his destination. No resistance – it gave Aerrow the feeling he was already too late.

The sky knight leapt off his ride and started heading towards the tower. As he entered the dark confines of the ominous building, he began to run. Silence filled the halls and there was still no one to be seen. It felt damp and dark; like a crypt.

Aerrow ran faster.

***

The battle raged on as Piper, Junko, and Finn all did their best to ward off the enemy. Talons had herded them into a tight circle, and the Storm Hawks were largely outnumbered. However, Piper fought, undaunted by the sheer strength of their foe. There was a shift in the formation of the talons as more closed in around Piper, blocking her from her two other allies. Finn and Junko took the advantage at the decrease in Cyclonians surrounding them, and Piper saw her chance. Using her crystal staff for extra lift, she thrust herself through the blockade of people and hurriedly ran to the door leading out into the hallway. Junko and Finn would be fine. Piper needed to draw the enemy away to give them a better chance. Without taking a second look, she bolted through the door and ran down the dark hallway.

***

Aerrow had made his way deep into the heart of the tower. The large metal walls echoed distant sounds, confusing Aerrow as to which direction the battle was coming from. He looked around anxiously as he ran. In addition to the present direness of the situation, Aerrow also realized his head was not his own anymore. He glanced around, knowing what was coming, but so far there was no sign of the Dark Ace.

Then it started. Aerrow heard that high, cold laughter again. At the very end of the hallway a figure emerged. It could only be _him_.

Aerrow snarled as he continued to run towards the Dark Ace, but then as his foe came into clearer focus, Aerrow faltered in his run.

It was the _real_ Dark Ace.

The Cyclonian stood there, taunting Aerrow with the same smile that tormented the sky knight in his dreams. Around the Dark Ace's neck a green crystal hung on a chain. As the head talon drew his blade he began to speak.

"Well, Aerrow! I am pleased. I thought at first you weren't going to come."

Aerrow lunged, but the Dark Ace dodged out of the way, still smiling coldly.

"I am lucky. Now I get to finish you off in person!" The Dark Ace fired a bolt of crystal energy, but Aerrow dodged it easily. The sky knight fired a counter attack, but it once again missed the mark. The fighting progressed with neither opponent landing a blow. As Aerrow continued to face his enemy, he could feel burning rage welling up inside of him. This was the man responsible for everything that had happened the past few days and so much more. Aerrow had to be victorious over this demon.

The fighting grew more intense as Aerrow let go of his boundaries. This was the real Dark Ace, but the haunting presence was still lingering in Aerrow's head. It urged him mockingly to keep fighting, and it was a request that Aerrow was happy to fulfill. As he entertained the presence it grew. Finally it was difficult to distinguish the difference between the Dark Ace and the shadows that had long hidden in the sky knight's mind and had finally taken form. The battle had moved into fast motion, blurs jumping in front of Aerrow's face. It was not discouraging. Aerrow merely advanced his fighting, equal in strength at last to the shadows. Aerrow didn't know what was happening; all he knew was that he was winning. It seemed another force stronger than the Dark Ace was leading him into victory. There was still laughter, but Aerrow was shocked to find it was his own mad howl escaping his lips. He knew the victory was near, he could taste it. The presence whispered it to him. Freedom. His head would be his own, the demon vanquished. Aerrow surrendered himself to the force guiding him. The room was a blur and swords clashed…

Aerrow suddenly gasped. Everything stopped, even time itself. There was the sickly squelch of a blade finding its home into the torso of a man. Aerrow stood, his face pale and sweat rolling in beads down his forehead. His hand began to shake as his eyes rolled slowly to the wound.

Aerrow's sword pierced the Dark Ace's heart.

The Dark Ace slumped to the ground with a dead finality as Aerrow withdrew his blade. His face was pure shock; eyes wide and mouth hanging open. The sky knight crouched beside his foe, his eyes cleared. He was confused. He wasn't aiming to kill, was he? Something was wrong. The presence was suddenly gone, but Aerrow felt mislead. He was cheated. The Dark Ace dead. Was it really that? How did he do it? It wasn't right. It was too easy. Why did it happen? How?

Aerrow gripped his head in his hands. His brain was still pounding. How could that be? In that moment it seemed everything was wrong. Why was he feeling regret?

Then, he truly saw. The vision lifted, and Aerrow noticed it wasn't a green crystal around the Dark Ace's neck, but a pale blue one. It was shaped differently. The body's skin darkened and the hair took on a navy hue. The eyes faded from red to a dazzling orange, blank with the emptiness of death.

Piper laid dead at Aerrow's feet.

With a mighty cry of torture, Aerrow fell to his knees and held Piper in his arms.

"NO! Piper! Wake up! Piper! It wasn't you! It can't be! Wake up!" Aerrow cradled the corpse in his hands as tears rolled down his face, mingling with the blood soaked through Piper's shirt.

"Piper! I never did. How could I? Piper…" Aerrow sat there, sobbing while the guilt and self-hatred ate away at his heart. It might have been a minute; it might have been an eternity. Aerrow didn't know how long he sat there, mourning. He continued to whisper her name between sobs.

"Piper… Piper… I'm sorry."

Suddenly, the high, cold laugh ringed in Aerrow's ears. Like a wounded animal hearing the call of its predator, Aerrow looked up quickly towards the source of the sound. He didn't realize he had fought right outside of Cyclonis' main chamber. Standing in the center of the room was the Dark Ace. He was fingering the green crystal in his free hand. The other was holding his blade.

"Very useful thing, this," The Dark Ace said with a smile. "I never thought you would have actually _killed_ her."

At the word 'kill' Aerrow sprang to his feet and charged towards the Dark Ace.

"I'LL KILL YOU!"

The Cyclonian moved swiftly to the side. Aerrow whirled around with his teeth bared.

"Now, now, Aerrow," the Dark Ace continued to taunt. "You must learn to take responsibility for your actions."

Aerrow screamed hate as he once again bore down on his enemy with his blades. The Dark Ace blocked the attack but Aerrow struck again, and again. He struck with ferocious consistency, taking out all of the anger he ever felt. The Dark Ace was skilled, but began to falter under the weight of the attacks. He backed off and bore down with an attack of his own. Aerrow dodged it, and summoned the power for the Lightning Claw. As he struck with his signature move, the Dark Ace took the hit and remained standing. The crystal swayed back and forth on its chain.

"You want to be more cautious, Aerrow." The Dark Ace was _still_ smiling. It was the confident grin of victory. It was that confidence which made Aerrow hesitate. "I might be that idiot wingman." The Dark Ace struck and Aerrow took the hit. "Or perhaps I'm that clueless wallop." The Dark Ace fired and Aerrow fell again. "You don't want to make the same mistake twice."

Aerrow rose to his feet, staring at the Dark Ace with the deepest loathing. Yet Aerrow did not attack.

The Dark Ace laughed. "I warned you I would win." He came slowly towards the sky knight, brandishing his blade. Aerrow merely stood, unsure of what to do. "Time's run out."

There was a large bang down the hall, which made both Aerrow and the Dark Ace pause and turn towards the sound. A shout echoed through the corridors, and the sound of quickly approaching footsteps.

It was Finn and Junko. They paused in shock while they surveyed the scene before them. Piper on the ground, and the Dark Ace wearing the crystal. And Aerrow… Aerrow here and fighting.

Aerrow and the Dark Ace both were taken aback by the unexpected appearance of the other Storm Hawks. It was Finn who broke the silence.

"Aerrow!"

Another bang erupted, greater than the last, and everyone momentarily lost their balance. The talons had caught up with their quarry, and had flooded the chamber. The fight quickly began once again as the Storm Hawks turned to face their opponents.

Aerrow recovered faster than the Dark Ace, and was able to land a blow with his blade before falling back into the deeper fighting. The Dark Ace pursued and soon the two were standing in the middle of the room, while talons with Finn and Junko fought in a circle around them.

Aerrow was strengthened by the appearance of his friends. He knew this was no vision. This _was_ the Dark Ace, and Aerrow would resist him with all his might. Suddenly, the prospect of winning seemed too easy. Aerrow fought just as naturally and skillfully as if it were a normal training routine. The Dark Ace faltered and took several hits, while Aerrow remained strong. Again he summoned the Lightning Claw, and as it made contact with its target, the Dark Ace fell to the floor.

It seemed to happen in slow motion. Aerrow's move had snapped the chain, and as the Dark Ace fell the crystal departed from the sender. It flew through the air until it landed and tumbled towards Aerrow's feet.

"NO!" howled the Dark Ace.

Aerrow reached down and picked up the crystal. It didn't look harmful. The green light that flowed out of the crystal was actually somewhat soothing. Almost enchanting…

Aerrow shook his head and raised one of his blades. This thing had to be destroyed. He pointed the sword directly at the crystal. This was the moment. Aerrow prepared himself to fire, a move that would surely shatter the crystal. Then it would all be over. His blade glowed blue and he lifted it above his head, preparing to strike…

"Aerrow! STOP!" Aerrow turned around, facing the shout. The crystal still rested in his palm.

It was Finn. He faced Aerrow with fear and suspense. He had broken from the battle just in time. "Aerrow! Don't destroy the crystal!"

Aerrow regarded Finn with confusion. _Don't_ destroy it? Wasn't that what they came here to do? Aerrow's gaze flickered between his friend and the small green gem in his hand.

Only it wasn't in his hand. By an unseen force, the crystal flew across the room to be retrieved by a pale slender hand.

It was Master Cyclonis.

The battle halted when everyone noticed her sudden presence. She herself looked mildly surprised at the pandemonium that had played out in front of her eyes. She turned coldly to the Dark Ace, still on the floor. He bowed his head in shame as she snarled in disgust at his failure.

"This has gone on long enough." Cyclonis said in her icy voice. "I think we're overdue for a finish."

Without another word, she began to squeeze the small green crystal with her bare hand. It looked like she was trying to crush it. Suddenly, a tiny sliver of a crack began to appear, and at the same time Aerrow let out and ear-splitting yell.

"No!" Finn and Junko protested at the same time. They charged at Cyclonis, but the talons held them back. They kicked and fought but were unable to break through. Cyclonis smiled as she continued to destroy the crystal.

Aerrow fell to his knee, gripping his head and tearing hair from the roots. His head pounded unlike anything he had felt before. He would happily take a million of the vision migraines just to escape this torture now. Another crack appeared in the bright green and an accompanying stab came with it. Aerrow shouted uncontrollably. He didn't know a pain like this could exist. Cyclonis squeezed harder and the smallest shards fell to the ground. To Aerrow it was a million shards. Not only piercing his mind but also piercing his flesh. His entire body was consumed by the agony and there was no relief. Each stab brought on a new pain, but it did not dim the previous wounds. It merely grew stronger and stronger and the crystal grew weaker and weaker.

Cyclonis gave a final smile as her nails dug into the stone. A hidden weak spot was discovered, and a million cracks all broke out in unison.

It was too much for Aerrow. He no longer knew what was happening. All his senses were blinded by the pain and he only wished for it to stop. Let it stop. His mind was destroyed just like the crystal and he wanted it to end now. He could feel the end. It was dark, and it promised the relief of pain. Nothingness seemed like the kindest of relief. And he would see her…

Amidst the shouts of battle, Aerrow grew still.


	6. Strength

**Minn: Wow! Last chapter! I actually finished a story for once. See where planning ahead gets you? lol! Anywho, I'm still looking for ideas for my next story so if you have any SEND THEM IN! I don't know what my future story will be (whether one I have previously worked on or a whole new concept). I am considering completing 'More Than One', but to do that, I will have to know if people will actually read it, so if you want it completed send me a message saying so. Regarding the immediate future, I'm taking some time away from fanfiction to continue with my independent story. I will ****start writing FF again once I have a complete **_**planned**_** idea. However, with Grade 12 coming my free time is looking quite minimal so don't be surprised if updates are delayed. Regardless, I'll keep you all updated via my profile. Thank you VERY MUCH to all of you who reviewed. Without you this story wouldn't have been possible. ^_^**

Chapter 6: Strength

When he first woke up, it was very confusing. Firstly, he didn't know he was awake. Reality blended with the old dreams, and it was a slow progress into the world.

The dream was different than normal dreams. It was not pleasant but nor was it unpleasant. There were no pictures or sounds like normal dreams, but there was feeling. The first was speed. He felt he was traveling very fast, but at the same time not moving. There was no weight and no wind. There was merely the knowledge of quickening displacement. The second was coldness, yet he was not cold himself. All around him was ice, but he himself felt no more than a degree or two above room temperature. The third was emptiness, or perhaps it was numbness. By then the dream was fading, so it was hard to tell.

Now that he was wakening, the first real sensation was sound, although he was not yet awake enough to make sense of it. A dull thrumming echoed in his mind. It was not an annoying sound. It was simple; mechanical and somewhat soothing. Slowly, he opened his eyes and light began to flood them. For too long they were denied their sight, and now they were drinking in their fill of what they could see. It was too harsh, so he blinked quickly and slowly until the light no longer hurt. Things were still fuzzy, but as they cleared, so did his head.

Aerrow sat up, (in doing so realizing he had been lying down) and slowly looked at his surroundings. He was in bed, in his own room aboard the Condor. Sunlight streamed in through the open window, which was letting in the steady drum of the engine. Aerrow sat in still silence for a while, trying to sort through what had happened. His thoughts were very fuzzy and hard to make sense of. However, after a time he was able to remember every detail of the battle. With a sigh, Aerrow walked towards the window and drew the curtain, shutting out the light.

***

The Storm Hawks were sitting around the table of the bridge in quiet discussion. Starling was amongst them, and she too was participating in the conversation.

Suddenly, a door opened and Aerrow came walking towards his team. He noticed that Starling filled the place where Piper used to sit. Aerrow sighed, and remained standing.

"Aerrow!" Finn said with a smile as he saw his sky knight. "You're alright." The wingman came forward to pat his friend on the back.

"Finn." Aerrow replied half-heartedly with a crooked smile. He looked around of the faces of his team. They all looked happy to see their leader walking about. There was some relief among the smiles. "What happened?" Aerrow asked, still a bit confused and looking curiously at Starling.

"Aw man, we almost thought you were a goner," Finn said. "If Starling didn't show up, I doubt any of us would have made it out." Starling smiled, slightly embarrassed by the praise and waved a greeting at Aerrow.

"I had some inside information that Cyclonis had developed a kind of weapon that was supposed to be incredibly dangerous," explained Starling. "Once again I went undercover to investigate. I was only there a minute before the battle broke out. I was able to stop Cyclonis just in time." It was then that Starling revealed the small green crystal in her hand. It was very badly damaged, and fissures were visible deep inside the stone. It was once again laced around a chain. Aerrow wondered vaguely why, but it seemed insignificant at the moment. Starling handed it to Aerrow and he examined it briefly in his hand before placing it around his neck. It still glowed dimly with power. Damaged, but intact.

"Getting out was no easy feat," continued Finn, rousing Aerrow from his thoughts. "But in the end, _all_ of us were able to get out."

Aerrow didn't miss the inflection. "Where…?" He couldn't say her name.

"In her room," Junko said, slightly sobered now.

Aerrow knew that none of his team knew the whole story of how it happened, but it would have to wait. It wasn't something he felt like telling anyways. Without a word, Aerrow left his team quietly.

***

When he opened her door, he wasn't sure what to expect. But there she was, lying on the bed, looking just like sleeping. No, upon taking a closer look, _not_ like sleeping. She was much too still, and there was no rise and fall of her chest. Aerrow fell to his knees beside the bed and rested his head near her still heart. He folded his arms around her as he whispered her name.

"Piper…"

But he couldn't say any more. He closed his eyes and quietly began to cry. It was not the anguished shock he felt earlier, only mourning for what could never be again. To Aerrow's numbed surprise, he felt a gentle hand rest itself upon his shoulder. He didn't look up or acknowledge the other presence. It was probably one of his team, come to comfort him. He still didn't say anything, wanting to merely be alone with her.

"Aerrow?"

At the sound of the voice, Aerrow inhaled sharply in real surprise. He looked slowly into the face of the person standing beside him.

It was Piper. She smiled tentatively down at Aerrow. Aerrow stared back at the body lying before him. By sheer chance, the crystal around Aerrow's neck had rested itself upon Piper's heart. Aerrow sighed in half understanding. This was no more than a vision. However, Aerrow looked back at the Piper standing before him and smiled back.

Piper grinned and knelt beside Aerrow, ignoring the body and looking into her sky knight's eyes. Aerrow looked back, his eyes still wet.

"Piper," he said. "I'm so sorry. It's all my…"

But Piper placed a delicate finger on his mouth, interrupting his words. "It's not your fault," she stated firmly yet softly. "It was the Dark Ace. He and Cyclonis both. Don't blame yourself for their evilness." She removed her finger and both of them smiled.

"I wish I had stayed," said Aerrow. "I would have if I had known…"

"I understand," said Piper, leaning towards Aerrow. "You did it for us."

"I did it for you." Aerrow paused and looked back at the body. "I still don't understand this."

Piper sighed. "It's a powerful crystal, Aerrow." She stole a glance at the crystal, resting across the still heart. She reached out as if to touch it, but then pulled away at the last minute. "Besides…" Piper turned to face Aerrow full on, and he turned at the same time. "I love you. That love will always stay in my heart." She quickly glanced again at the body. "Even in death."

"Piper…" Aerrow whispered. He loved her too, but he didn't need to say the words. She already knew. It was clear in both their faces.

Piper leaned closer towards Aerrow and at the same time they both met with the other's lips, sharing a sweet, gentle kiss. Despite the vision, the kiss felt warm and soft. As Aerrow leaned closer to make the moment last longer, the crystal slipped from the body's heart, and Piper vanished with less than a whisper.

Aerrow opened his eyes when he felt the end of the embrace, and she was gone. Aerrow looked back at the body. It was as still as ever, but he could accept that now. He would move on just like the rest of the team. It was that final kiss that gave him the strength to go on.

END


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